Early Accountability

EAP 125: The Fight Against Injustice and Inequality by Kimi Walker

Our special guest on this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is Zana Williams. Zana joined Kimi to talk about what has gone on in her life in the past 2 years and the big milestone that she just achieved. When Zana was on the podcast in 2018, she talked about the journey that she had been on to get into law school in the midst of losing her grandmother and her father and she was beginning law school in San Diego. While she was there, she noticed that her mom’s health began declining, so she made the decision to move back home to Oklahoma City to finish school and take care of her mother. Her mother passed away in September of 2019, a few months before Zana was set to graduate law school. Recognizing the immense losses that she had experienced in the past several years, Zana put herself into counseling to help her work through the grief of losing both of her parents, and she had some self-realizations through the process. Zana had been taking care of others for so long that she had lost herself in he

This episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is the first of a two-part mini-series featuring Zana Williams, a returning guest on the podcast. Zana joined us back on episode 10 to discuss conquering law school in her father’s memory, and on the next episode of this series, we will be catching up with Zana to see what she has been up to the past 2+ years since her last visit. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to Zana’s original interview, you should definitely go check it out, but this episode serves as a summary. Zana knew by the time she was 12 years old without a shadow of a doubt that she wanted to be an attorney. She took a Mock Trial and Debate class in high school that further solidified this desire for her, and the rest is history…not quite. Right around the time Zana was studying for the LSAT, she lost her grandmother and her father and she was in 3 car accidents. She – understandably – didn’t get the score she had hoped for, so she received many denial letters from law schools. She didn’t l

EAP 122: The Mental Toll of Perfectionism by Kimi Walker

This episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is geared towards high-achievers, leaders, and caretakers in the audience who tend to let their mental health needs go unnoticed. By nature, these people put the needs of others above their own and can often feel that their mental health does not matter. Quite the opposite is true, in fact, and it is important for high-achievers, leaders, and caretakers to recognize their signs or triggers of mental health issues and get the help they need. If you or someone you know falls into this category, here are some helpful steps to take: 1.Get in tune with your feelings – Give yourself the time and space to feel emotions. Once you have done this, you will have the clarity and ability to navigate next steps. 2.Find someone to talk to – This could be an individual therapist, a support group, a mastermind group, or just a friend or group of friends who are in similar life circumstances. 3.Practice mindfulness – Find an activity that helps you get grounded. Examples are:

EAP 120: Mindset Shifts: From Petty to Pandemic, Protect Your Energy by Kimi Walker

Our topic on this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is mental health during this quarantine season. As you may know, May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and mental health is a key component to your whole-body wellness. In these difficult and different times, it is all the more important to be conscious of your mental health and reach out if you feel you need help. The Mental Health Association of America specifically recommends keeping these aspects of your life in mind this month: •Connecting with others •Creating healthy routines •Finding the positive after loss •Eliminating toxic influences •Owning your feelings •Supporting others Kimi specifically talks about connecting with and supporting others on this episode as we are all living through big adjustments to the norm. Everyone needs to have community and interaction with others, and even though those interactions might look different during this time, they are still just as important as ever. It is crucial to prioritize these conversation

On this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast, Kimi is joined by Justin Ochoa, co-owner of Pace Fitness Academy in Indianapolis. Justin was an athlete in high school who discovered his love for coaching during college. A short time later, he was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder which triggered him to start learning about nutrition, strength, and conditioning. This eventually led to him and his business partner, Eric Allen, opening Pace Fitness Academy to coach and train athletes and anyone else who is looking for a top-notch training experience. With gyms across the country being closed, Pace has shifted a lot of their services online, from online training sessions for their paying clients to free resources available to anyone on their website. Justin has noticed that the main challenges for people during this time of coronavirus quarantine are the lack of structure and lack of motivation. Because our routines have been thrown off and we are not able to leave our houses, people are struggling to

Our guest on this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is Robert Barnes, a U.S. Air Force veteran of 22 years who has become passionate about helping people understand their taxes. Robert joined the Air Force 5 days after his 17th birthday, a new high school graduate who was looking for his place in this world, and he served in Germany and Hawaii for most of his career. Toward the end of his time in the military, he started to wonder why he was having to pay taxes even though he was on the government’s payroll. He breezed through his associate’s and bachelor’s degrees before completed a degree in graduate school as well. At the time of his graduation from his master’s degree, he was asked to begin teaching a personal finance course and he found his new life focus. By simply breaking down the tax code and explaining it to his students and others who asked for his advice, he slowly built up a client base of 300-400 individuals whom he was helping with the completion of their taxes in a consulting capac

On this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast, Kimi talks about strategies for springing into action during this time of quarantine. Just because you are stuck at home doesn’t mean you can’t be productive and make good progress on your goals. 1.Use what you have – You already have everything you need to get started, so don’t let your circumstances stop you. Improvise, be resourceful, get creative, and don’t worry about what you don’t have. 2.Start, begin, do – Don’t overthink or over-plan what you want to do. You have the time and resources you need right now, so don’t wait more than a few days before just doing what you want to do. 3.Stop comparing and build a community instead – Rather than looking around at what others are doing during this time and getting into a toxic cycle of comparison with them, appreciate and draw inspiration from them. There are so many free resources out there right now that typically cost hundreds of dollars, so take advantage of them and learn something new. Once you

On this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast, Kimi gets real about what our lives look like during this time of social distancing and self-quarantining and encourages us to evaluate what we are working towards. Being stuck inside the house all day, it is easy to just eat whatever you want to, watch whatever you want to, and ignore whatever you want to. It is easy to learn how to waste time, essentially. But what is the main excuse that you always give for not starting or doing certain things or setting certain goals? That you don’t have enough time. While it is inconvenient and unsettling to only be able to leave your house for “essentials”, just think of all the extra time you have right now. Take advantage of this opportunity (that is hopefully once-in-a-lifetime) to start something new, learn something new, set a new goal for yourself and implement the plan you need to follow, connect with those friends you haven’t talked to in a while, and focus on your self-care. You will not regret jumpstarting

As the coronavirus continues to spread in the US and more and more people find themselves affected by the pandemic in one way or another, Kimi also continues her Early Accountability podcast episodes to encourage listeners on the subject. Even since last week’s episode there have been many changes in the situation in the US and around the world, and we want to express our sincerest appreciation and sympathy to the “essential” workers and to anyone who has had a loved one sickened by the virus. This is uncharted territory for all of us and now is the time to band together and help those around us while staying at home to prevent the spread. This week’s practical tips are: 1.Get grounded – Make a point to be mindful every day. Think about where you are, where you have come from, and where you are going. 2.Create a schedule – Whether you are at home alone, with your roommate or spouse, or with your whole family, it is important to keep the day as structured as possible. This will help you stay productive while

Thanks for tuning in to the next episode of the Early Accountability Podcast! On this episode, Kimi continues the conversation we began last week by providing more practical tips for handling the uncertain times in our world right now, particularly regarding COVID-19. Perhaps you have even experienced drastic changes in your lifestyle, school, or work schedule just since last week because of how quickly the virus is evolving and spreading across the U.S. and the world. It is understandable that this turbulence could lead to anxiety, fear, and stress, but there are some simple ways to keep your head above water. 1.Don’t believe everything you hear – Monitor your consumption of television and social media during these times and try to find the balance of staying informed without getting overwhelmed. Read articles written by reputable sources rather than relying on what your friends are saying they have heard. 2.Social support doesn’t mean social isolation – Even in this time of social distancing and self-quar

On this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast, Kimi talks with listeners about 4 simple ways to keep calm during the coronavirus chaos. There is a lot of fear at this time of uncertainty in the wake of a global pandemic that is continuing to spread, but you do not have to let that fear overwhelm you. 1.Focus on what you can control – Practice mindfulness and be aware of yourself and others. Try to stay grounded and concentrate on the power you have in your world rather than getting thrown off by the lack of work, school, and childcare routines. 2.Practice self-care – As much as possible, commit to getting plenty of sleep, exercising, and sticking to a healthy diet. 3.Watch what you are consuming – If you find that the news is making you anxious, limit your time spent watching it. Consider whether the conversations you are having with other people are necessary and helpful or if you should shift what you are talking about. Do your best not to dwell or focus too much on what is going on while still bei

The topic of this episode the Early Accountability Podcast is International Women’s Day. Kimi discusses what it looks like to capture the essence of the day and confront the biases that exist in our own minds and in the world at large. While we should be challenging stereotypes and celebrating the achievements of women every day, this day is a great opportunity to pause and have discussions with those around us about the fair and unfair perceptions of women. Kimi recommends these four specific actions surrounding International Women’s Day: 1.Learn – Educate yourself and become more aware of gender issues and inequalities. Read books, visit museums, attend events, and have tough conversations with your kids to engage them in the narrative as well. 2.Discuss – Talking about the disparities you are seeing such as discrimination, the gender pay gap, and the injustice of harassment and assaults occurring to women is the best way to grow. 3.Be open to change – Recognize that the thoughts and paradigms you grew

Our returning guest on this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is Tyran Cosby, USMC veteran, husband, father, co-founder of Life Behind the Beard, and host of the new podcast Beard Talk with a Veteran. After retiring from the Marines at age 38, Tyran had some decisions to make about what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. Many of his buddies immediately transitioned into new careers, but Tyran knew that he wanted to take some time for himself to pursue some of the dreams he had put on hold while he was in active duty. He graduated from culinary school and started an acting career before joining forces with one of his military brothers to start Life Behind the Beard. His advice to others going through big life transitions is to accept that you will not be the same as you were before, that you will need to sit down and re-learn who you are and what matters to you. Tyran didn’t know anything about anxiety or depression until he realized that he was going through them, so he had to take a step b

Welcome to the next episode of the Early Accountability Podcast! On this episode, Kimi talks about the best ways to capitalize on free time, whether expected or unexpected, and optimize your productivity. Whether a meeting gets cancelled or you are given an extra day (Leap Day) or you have blocked out some time for yourself, there are ways to make the most of that time and not just waste it binging a show or scrolling through social media. The best way to guarantee that this free time will be productive is to make a list of things that are not time-sensitive but that you want to prioritize. If you want to take an online course, clean out your shed, take up a hobby, connect with an old friend, or check out that new museum or restaurant in your area, you are more likely to do so if you have written it down on your list. Perhaps these are things you have been putting off “until the right time” but the right time never comes because you aren’t in a mindset of looking for productive things to do when you are giv

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day and the season of love, Kimi gives a bit of a different take on love during this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast. While we are very focused on loving others and being loved by others this time of year, February is also a good opportunity to pause and prioritize loving yourself. Take a beat and ask yourself if you are living the life you love or if you have just been going through the motions. Are you living in alignment with your passions? Or do you find yourself constantly in anguish and drained from your daily life? Are there tweaks you can make to improve your physical and emotional health, your finances, your career, and your relationships? You can’t give what you don’t have, so take some time for yourself and evaluate the direction of your life. This does not have to be a heavy undertaking, but you will likely find after just a few minutes of allowing yourself to think and dream that there are one or two obvious things that aren’t working for you. It may be

On this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast, Kimi checks in with two of her podcast mentees, Maurice L. Wilson and Justice Wali, to discuss their recent podcast launches. As with many things in life, there is quite a process involved in making a dream into reality, so Kimi has been working with these guys and Tyran Cosby on planning and implementing their podcasts for several months before they were ready to start putting content out to the world. Maurice applies his engineering background to financial problem-solving, breaking down the complex wealth equations that currently exist and simplifying wealth-building so everyone can understand it and start doing it for themselves. He believes that everyone should be equipped with the tools to build wealth and enjoy their lives during their “prime years” rather than spending 30-40 years saving for retirement and then being too worn out once retirement comes to actually enjoy it. When it comes to working on his podcast, Maurice’s biggest hurdle was his con

This episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is a continuation of the 2nd Anniversary celebration. During this episode, Kimi talks about the journey that led her to start her podcast in 2018, starting with a project through her Mastermind group at the time. She was challenged by this group and her mentor Amanda Miller Littlejohn to pursue starting a podcast, and while it has not always been an easy endeavor, two years after that first episode was launched, Kimi is so grateful for that early encouragement and accountability that brought the podcast to light. This journey has solidified in Kimi the desire to pay it forward and pass along whatever knowledge and wisdom she can to others who want to use podcasting as their platform to deliver their message. She has seen time and time again the positive impact that pouring into others can have in all aspects of life, and podcasting is no different. Kimi has talked with many of her previous guests about launching podcasts and her conversations with 3 of those p